The Mentor
by LadyParongsny
Summary: When Neville Longbottom takes on his new teaching job at Hogwarts he also takes on a new mentor, the marauder who was the professor to teach him how to face his fears when he was just a student there himself.
_**A/N: Big thank you to Claireabellalou and Avis1765 for their beta skills and service. I am also humbled by the support and love from my friends over at Wandlore as well as my Coven ladies.**_

 ** _Also, I do not own any of the Harry Potter greatness and make zero money off of it. All I have is little ideas in my head that pop up based on JK's magical world. That is all. Disclaimer complete. :)_**

 ** _~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O_**

 **May 2008**

When the owl arrived that morning Neville was only slightly surprised. He had spoken with Pomona earlier in the month while he returned some books to her she had lent him while he was examining Magical Argentinean plant life. His former professor and current mentor was enthusiastic and proud of the research he had completed since leaving the Auror department five years prior.

Having always been fascinated with herbology, it was no surprise to anyone in the wizarding community when Neville left Britain to research plant life in 2003. It just made sense that after he discovered himself slowly burning out at the prospect of being an auror for one more minute that he would fall back into that consistent love of his. Herbology. In fact, looking back he wondered if he would have even became an auror at all if his childhood wasn't smack dab in the middle of war time. It was a funny thing, how life brought you back to where you belonged no matter how much you may have deviated from the path.

The owl, along with the elegant scrolling penmanship, belonged to his Gryffindor head of house. Minerva McGonagall was brief but to the point in her letter that she wished to discuss an available position opening up that coming autumn with him over tea that afternoon. He saw this coming. He was in town. He was experienced and knowledgeable. He was seen as Pomona Sprout's apprentice for years. This was an inevitable outcome foreseen by many since his days roaming the halls of Hogwarts himself. He didn't feel ready. He went to the meeting disguised as tea anyway. He took the job anyhow. He _wasn't_ ready but he supposed he couldn't hide around and escape the inevitable for much longer.

 **July 2008**

He had been staying on the grounds for a month reacquainting himself with his childhood home, getting his bearings as far as the curriculum allowed him to and exploring the grounds. Pomona sent him on silly errands at first to refresh his memory and clear out the cobwebs of his previous knowledge of the native foliage and where to find them. Then two months from the start of term she left him to it. He didn't feel ready and was without a mentor to guide him as his previous one was now eager to start her retirement and visit her distant niece in Spain. The idea occurred to him while he was collecting brushwood and flora from the forbidden forest one morning. He had been afraid before and Pomona wasn't the only professor to guide him. He would reach out to Remus Lupin, the man who taught him to stare fear in the face.

 **August 2008**

Two days after his birthday and a month from start of term he would meet with his old professor. He sat at his desk covered with his syllabus as he prepared for the upcoming year. He looked down at the parchment as the words began to just run into one another and closed his eyes before counting to himself as he reminded himself to breathe. One, two, three. _One. Two. Three._

"Funny. I believe I had the same panic attack in 95'," the werewolf chuckled softly. Neville raised his head to lock eyes with the man. "Thanks. Thanks for coming to meet me," the twenty eight year old sighed. "As if I had much choice," Lupin laughed. "But seriously, I am tickled and honoured you would contact me for support. Dumbledore guided me on my similar transition and I am more than pleased to do you the same favour."

Neville beckoned a house elf to get them tea and they discussed the ins and outs of transitioning into the professor role and all that came with it. The men reminisced over the war and what happy memories they could conjure of such a time. They swapped auror anecdotes. The older man gave the new professor pointers that accentuated his confidence and diminished his insecurities from leading a class to talking to the pretty new barmaid from his past that he had recently reacquainted with.

"Nev, I get it." Remus started when they had switched from talking about handing out detentions to his depressing love life **.** "When Dora professed her infatuation for me I was terrified. Terrified and angry. But I had my illness to think about. This is a pint on a Saturday. Think about it. What can you lose? Three hours with soil under your nails and time spent pruning your leaves? She's a pretty face and charming to boot, as you say, and you're young! Be merry! Live this life you are given and enjoy it." Neville sighed. He knew the older man was right.

 **October 2009**

"How's he doing professor? My boy, that is. I hope he isn't causing as many a ruckus as his father before him or tripping on as many stairs as his poor mother." Remus joked as he approached Neville for their predictably recurring meeting. Both men let out boisterous laughs. Neville knew neither to be true. "He takes after you with his nose in a book and Tonks with inheriting her kindness and carefree spirit. He is doing you both proud. I promise you that. He's already racked up quite a decent amount of house points for our house" he stated matter of factly. "I still can't get over the fact that _YOU_ are new head of Hufflepuff." The werewolf said as he raised his hand and his eyebrows upon seeing Neville open his mouth to protest "Yes. Yes, I know. Wood is head of Gryffindor House and Pomona left the opening. Still quite odd though, isn't it? I mean I watched you slice the head of that snake right off. With the sword of Gryffindor. While you maintained eye contact with the Dark Lord himself. I mean, _Merlin_ , Longbottom. You can't get any more courageous than that. Gold and Red if I've ever seen it." Neville beamed at him, this man that had become his dear friend and advisor over the last year or so.

It made perfect sense that the most insecure of the Marauders was able to kick Neville in the arse and recognize his worth and confidence again. Their monthly meetings pushed him to drive his students to excel, court and eventually propose to Hannah Abbott, and live the life he was given. He owed quite a lot to him but decided that now that he had gotten his bearings, these meetings were becoming selfish and unneeded. It was time to bid farewell to his dear friend and teacher. After explaining this to Remus he received a nod in understanding in return. He opened his desk drawer with his left hand and with his right he hovered his fist over the open compartment. Unclenching his fingers he dropped the stone into his desk planning to part with it in seven years when it would be wrapped in black and yellow wrapping and given to the man's son on his eighteenth birthday.


End file.
